Moderate

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II-III+

Level: 

Flows when Mangahao Power Station is running, typically mornings and evenings.

Gauge: 

Mangahao Slalom: 06 362 7588 (flow phone, Mangaore Stream - min 15 cumecs) or 06 362 7659 (to talk to somebody at the Power Station)

Length: 

0.5km

Time: 

90 seconds to full day.

Put in: 

directly below power station.

Take out: 

On river left by concrete block exit. Don't miss the take out its a hassle find other good eddies.

Shuttle: 

2 min walk.

Character: 

Tigh and technical, this is a great section for practicing or playing on.

National whitewater Slalom Site. It has gates set up, toilets and flood lights for paddling in the dark! But you need a access card from Bivouac in Palmy to use the toilets or lights.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II

Length: 

6.5km

Time: 

1.5 hours

Put in: 

Jollie Brook swingbridge

Take out: 

Seaward Stream

Maps: 

M33

Character: 

Shallow boulder gardens with a handful of bluffs

Hot tip: 

Good playing at Dozy Stream

Jollie Brook is an excellent teaching area, and slalom competitions are occasionally held at the put in. There is good camping at several locations; one just up the road, through a gate, has a long-drop toilet.

Shallow boulder gardens for about 3km to South Branch (an alternate put-in and take out). Several bluffs, eddy lines and waves (at the right flow) provide playable features. Dozy Stream is often used as a put-in to extend the Maori Gully run.

To get to the take out: Drive up the Lake Sumner Road to the bridge across Seaward Stream.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II

Gauge: 

Visual

Length: 

3km

Time: 

1

Put in: 

Sisters Stream confluence

Take out: 

Jollie Brook swingbridge

Shuttle: 

3km (estimated)

Maps: 

M33

Character: 

High-walled gorge

The river is immediately constrained by a steep-walled gorge with a two or three distinct drops that can be challenging for inexperienced paddlers. Beyond the short gorge the river opens out onto shallow boulder gardens down to the bedrock at Jollie Brook.

To get to the take out: Look for the swingbridge across the Hurunui 500m downstream from Jollie Brook.

To get to the put in: At the stockyards, walk down a 4WD track to where Sisters Stream meets the Hurunui.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II

Areas of bedrock and shingle chutes, willows on banks. Put-in at Woodstock Bridge, take-out at Ngatimoti Bridge.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II-III

Level: 

Above average flows

Gauge: 

Visual, and Southland Times fishing levels; anything more than low and clear

Length: 

6.5km

Gradient: 

8m/km

Time: 

1-2 hours

Put in: 

The first swingbridge at South Mavora Lakes

Take out: 

Kiwi Burn swingbridge

Shuttle: 

5.5 km

Maps: 

E42, D43

Character: 

Scenic, single braid, small gorges

Hot tip: 

Go for the weekend, take your mountain bike

The Mararoa flows from the two Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu and empties into the Waiau River. It is a beautiful area and the river trip no less. Camping at the lakes is stunning and I suggest taking mountain bikes for exploring further up the valley.

From the put-in at the lake it's a fantastic float alongside honey-dew beech forest and through clear pools where trout cruise beneath underwater ledges. The forest gives way to a short gorge as the rapids pick up, climaxing with three drops.

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p265.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

II-III+

Level: 

Above 18 cumecs

Gauge: 

Visual

Length: 

3km

Gradient: 

11m/km

Time: 

1 hour

Put in: 

Percy Valley Bridge

Take out: 

End of the road at Lake Manapouri

Shuttle: 

3km

Maps: 

NZ Topo D42

Character: 

Easy boulder gardens, beautiful scenery.

Hot tip: 

Take a mountain bike and get dropped off at Borland Saddle

You have to work for this one. It is a long way off the beaten track and best suits those in the area for other reasons (tramping, mountain biking). The run is moderate and needs water to make it worthwhile. Locals say it gets to class IV in very high flows. Maybe it does, but you can decide.

To get to the put-in, head into the deep south and Borland Lodge, west of Monowai and north of Lake Monowai. Drive past the Lodge and through the gate on the road over the Borland Saddle. Follow this winding gravel road for 37km to the Percy Valley bridge.

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

I

Level: 

any

Gauge: 

visual

Length: 

6.5km

Put in: 

Skippers Bridge boat ramp

Take out: 

Deep Creek on the Skippers Canyon Rd

Shuttle: 

6.5km, unsealed

Character: 

scenic canyon

Hot tip: 

Watch for jetboats

An easy section often used for family float trips, kayak instruction and, unfortunately, jetboats. For safety's sake contact Skippers Canyon Jet before getting on the river by phoning 03 442 9434, (this number is also on a sign at the Skippers Saddle where there is good cell coverage) or drop into their base on the way to the river. Skippers Canyon Base is signposted approx. 2km past Deep Creek. They have a blackboard there to leave a message if no one is around.

Info

Class: 

IV

The river starts with a narrow but fairly easy rapid under the bridge and opens out for a km or 2. The river is wide, shallow and swift over a shelf-like bedrock bottom but starts to steepen and narrow as it goes over a couple of smallish drops. It stays pretty narrow after this (portaging and inspection is difficult and sometimes painful due to the dense vegetation and the gorge - however, inspection is pretty important in places).

Info

Portage?: 

No

Class: 

III (IV+)

Level: 

30-80 cumecs

Gauge: 

visual at the take out

Length: 

7km

Gradient: 

9.5m/km

Time: 

2-4 hours

Put in: 

Hunter Hut (Wanganui/Lambers Confluence)

Take out: 

Gravel road end 3km up from SH6 (right hand side)

Shuttle: 

helicopter section 7B or 7C

Maps: 

I34 and J34

Character: 

Moderate water

Hot tip: 

Great for a first fly in.

The character of the Wanganui is different from other West Coast rivers, dropping sharply out of the Alps, but easing off without flowing through any gorges.

From just above the Lambert/Wanganui junction is a great class III intermediate trip and an excellent proposition for a first helicopter trip. The gradient drops right off to 9.5m/km and enjoyable class III water, except for one class IV-V rapid. This rapid (Slip Rapid) is about 4 kilometres from the Lambert/Wanganui junction and is easy to spot from above. Run the rapid or portage on the right side.

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p201.

Info

Portage?: 

Yes

Class: 

III-IV

Level: 

most low flows up to high flows

Gauge: 

visual

Length: 

40km

Gradient: 

4m/km

Time: 

2 -3 days (approx 12 hours of paddling)

Put in: 

Bonar Flats

Take out: 

Waiatoto Road Bridge

Shuttle: 

Helicopter section 7C

Maps: 

F38, F39

Character: 

Moderate wilderness trip, superb scenery

Hot tip: 

Relax, take a break

The Waiatoto drains the Volta Glacier system on the western side of Mount Aspiring National Park. The main reason for a Waiatoto trip is to enjoy the unbelieveable wilderness of south Westland with a group of friends and enjoy it with some good food and wine. There is some fun whitewater too! Most trips start at the Bonar Flats. A short gorge between this point and the next flats - Donald Flats - contains some classic class III boulder hopping that adds hydro interest to the scenery. The river is easy and becomes braided in the section down to the Drake River confluence.

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p218.